sky

/skaɪ/

noun (pl) skies

1.

(sometimes pl) the apparently dome-shaped expanse extending upwards from the horizon that is characteristically blue or grey during the day, red in the evening, and black at night related adjectives celestial empyrean

2.

outer space, as seen from the earth

3.

(often pl) weather, as described by the appearance of the upper air: sunny skies

4.

the source of divine power; heaven

5.

(informal) the highest level of attainment: the sky's the limit

6.

to the skies, highly; extravagantly

verb skies, skying, skied

7.

(rowing) to lift (the blade of an oar) too high before a stroke

8.

(transitive) (informal) to hit (a ball) high in the air

Derived Forms

skylike, adjective

Word Origin

C13: from Old Norse skӯ; related to Old English scio cloud, Old Saxon skio, Old Norse skjār transparent skin

Meaning "upper regions of the air" is attested from c.1300; replaced native heofon in this sense (see heaven). In Middle English, the word can still mean both "cloud" and "heaven," as still in the skies, originally "the clouds." Sky-high is from 1812; phrase the sky's the limit is attested from 1908. Sky-dive first recorded 1965; sky-writing is from 1922.

(skī) The atmosphere, as seen from a given point on the Earth's surface. The sky appears to be blue because the wavelengths associated with blue light are scattered more easily than those that are associated with the other colors.